People ask this a lot: What is Jennifer Love Hewitt doing so far in 2025. Short answer. She is back in theaters, steady on TV, and more visible in public than she has been in years. I pulled together the key projects, appearances, and storylines so you do not have to scroll ten tabs. We will hit her movie return, 9-1-1 work, a rare red carpet with her husband, and how she is using Instagram to steer the conversation.
Big screen return as Julie James
The headline is simple. Jennifer Love Hewitt returned to the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. The 2025 film brought her back as Julie James and opened in mid July after a Los Angeles premiere. It is a legacy sequel with a young ensemble and familiar faces. She plays Julie as older, sharper, and not a cameo. That was important to her. Reviews were mixed, but the comeback mattered. Fans got closure and a new arc. The box office has been solid enough for a midsummer slasher. If you grew up on the original, this felt like a full circle moment.
Why this matters in 2025
A theatrical role changes how people talk about a TV star. Hewitt has worked for decades, but the big screen carries a different weight. In my view, returning as Julie also let her address old narratives about her image. She leaned into character, not nostalgia alone, and used press to reframe how the public sees her.
9-1-1 in 2025: Maddie’s heavy year
On ABC’s 9-1-1, Hewitt kept doing the work as Maddie Buckley. Season 8 ran through spring 2025 and it was intense. A major character death hit the squad hard and reset the show’s emotional core. That shift gave Maddie more room to carry grief, family, and crisis calls all at once. If you only know Hewitt from the 90s, watch her here. She is grounded and precise. The show has already teed up season 9, with fallout from that loss and new leadership beats at Station 118. Expect more call room scenes where Maddie holds the line while the team is in danger. It is where she does some of her best acting.
The arc fans noticed
Viewers noticed that Maddie is written with real-life messiness. Parenting. Trauma. Boundaries with Chimney. Not every scene is pretty and that is the point. It lets Hewitt play small, human choices, not just big rescues.
A rare joint appearance with Brian Hallisay
Jennifer Love Hewitt and her husband, actor Brian Hallisay, made a rare joint public appearance at ABC’s End of Summer Soirée in West Hollywood in early September. They usually keep things private. The coordinated black looks, the photos, the quick fan reaction online, all stood out because we do not see them on carpets together often. Three kids at home and busy schedules will do that. It was a short moment, but it told a bigger story. She is comfortable showing up as a working parent with a partner in the same industry, without turning the night into a publicity tour.
Social media in 2025: honest, not glossy
Hewitt’s Instagram has been candid this year. She posted a no make up, no filter shot for her 46th birthday in February. She also addressed body commentary that flared up around the summer premiere. Nothing preachy. More like clear and firm. If you track long arcs, she went from being the subject of 90s tabloid objectification to setting her own frame in midlife. That is growth. It is also a good reminder that aging in public is never simple, and it helps when the person owns the story in their voice.
Career snapshot: where things stand now
Here is where she is as of today.
- Film. The I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel released in July. She is central to the plot, alongside returning cast and a younger group of leads. There are hints the story could continue if the studio wants a follow up.
- Television. She remains a core player on 9-1-1. Season 8 delivered a major loss that will shape her 2025 and likely 2026 episodes. The show’s next season is lining up with new captain dynamics and more space for Maddie.
- Public appearances. She stepped out with Brian Hallisay at an ABC event in September. Fans loved it. It is the first time in a while they have done a red carpet together.
- Online. Posts mix family reflections, career updates, and a steady push against shallow commentary. It reads like a person who knows what she wants to share and what she will not.
What to watch for through the end of 2025
A few things to keep an eye on as the year wraps.
- 9-1-1 season 9 setup. Watch how the show positions Maddie inside the new team order. More dispatch center tension is likely, plus quieter scenes at home that test her boundaries.
- Sequel chatter. If the summer sequel legs hold, do not be shocked if you start seeing follow up rumors. That does not mean it is greenlit. It means people will ask.
- Select press and events. After the September ABC party, she may choose one or two more targeted appearances tied to TV milestones. She does not need to be everywhere to be visible.
Bottom line
What is Jennifer Love Hewitt doing so far in 2025. She returned to theaters with a role that honors who she was and who she is now. She kept anchoring one of network TV’s most reliable dramas through a tough story turn. She showed up with her husband for a rare night out. And she set the tone on social media rather than letting others do it for her. If you lost track after the 90s, this is a good year to check back in.
References
- Hewitt’s return as Julie James, character details, and context from a July feature interview and photo spread. Vulture
- Los Angeles premiere coverage and photos from July, including her red carpet look and role confirmation in the 2025 film. People.com
- The 2025 film’s release date and box office performance, plus cast and production notes. Wikipedia
- 9-1-1 Season 8 episode listings and airdates confirming late season titles in April and May 2025. ABC
- Reporting and recaps on the Season 8 storyline involving Bobby Nash’s death and the show’s aftermath. EW.com+2Collider+2
- Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brian Hallisay’s rare joint public appearance at ABC’s End of Summer Soirée in early September 2025. InStyle+1
- Additional coverage of the couple’s appearance from a mainstream entertainment outlet. Good Housekeeping
- Hewitt’s own Instagram posts in 2025, including her no makeup birthday post. Instagram